“So, you don’t think I’m some sort of floozy, ripe for the picking by another charismatic tycoon?”
“Floozy?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes, I do and no, I don’t.”
“But—”
“I want you. That’s not a crime.”
“No.”
“So you think I’m charismatic?”
“On occasion, yes.”
“That’s good to know.”
“I’m sure you think so.”
“If it means I get the girl, I do.”
“The jury is still out on that one.”
“Then let’s see if I can’t rig it.”
“What?”
He was standing up and his hand was outstretched. “Come for a walk with me and let me turn some of this charisma on you.”
He was teasing, but it wasn’t a joke. The man was way too attractive for Tara’s own good. And as docile as any lamb, she still put her hand in his and let him lead her toward the main part of the rose garden—that had been closed off for their enjoyment alone. Its lush beauty in the fading light awed her.
“It’s incredible here,” she said after several minutes of silence.
“I think so, too. It’s one of my favorite places.”
“Did you visit when you lived in Seattle or discover it when you bought Primo Tech?”
“When I was a kid, we came every summer. It was like a pilgrimage.”
And he was sharing this special place and his precious memories with her. That meant something. It had to.
“My mother loved the Rose Festival and we drove down for it,” he continued, “I liked the rides.”
“I can’t imagine you on a carnival ride.”
“I was a little boy. Even tycoons had to be children at some point.”
“It’s hard to picture. I see you trading companies from your crib.”
“Actually I didn’t get interested in the business side of things until I was twenty. Before that, I thought I would be an engineer like my father had been.”
“What changed your mind?”
“Life.” He put his arm around her waist and pulled her into his hard, warm body. “My father was technically brilliant. He developed several new designs and started his own company.”
“I’m surprised he was a success. A lot of engineer types aren’t good when it comes to the day to day operations.” She’d seen it over and over again at Primo Tech.
“He wasn’t the greatest businessman, but he made do.”
“Whereas you are brilliant business wise.”
“And a mediocre engineer.”
“There are always trade-offs in life.”
“Yes, there are.”
“What’s the name of your father’s company?”
“It doesn’t exist anymore. It was absorbed into a bigger company.”
That surprised her. “I would have thought you would keep it intact. A pride thing.”
“I didn’t own it at the time.”
“I’m sorry.” She sensed that caused him a lot of pain.
He turned to face her. “Let’s not talk about business right now.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
His head lowered. “This,” he said as his lips pressed against hers.
It was unlike any of the other kisses had been. This was both tender and passion driven. Desire vibrated off of him and against her mouth, but he didn’t push for a deeper kiss. When he was done, he lifted his head. “You are so sexy, stellina.”
“You make me want to be.”
Triumph rippled through Angelo. For two years this woman had wanted to be anything but sexy. She had avoided men and intimacy completely, but in his arms, she wanted to be a woman.
She was so close to being his—he could sense it.
“Come on, there is something I want you to see.”
She let him guide her toward the lower part of the rose garden. He kept his hand on her shoulder, his thumb brushing her nape. Triumph flared through him when she shivered despite the warmth of the air and shifted toward him infinitesimally.
Experience had taught him that often it was the small touches which seduced a woman, not a blatant show of passion. She already knew how much he wanted her. He’d shown her that in the pool. Now he had to show her it was okay to want him too…because he knew what to do with her wanting.
He leaned down so his breath caressed her ear when he spoke. “I know how to satisfy your craving to be a sensual woman, Tara. It will be very, very good between us.”
“I…” Her voice trailed off as if she didn’t know how to respond to his comments.
He wasn’t so reticent. “I will give you more pleasure than you have ever known. Believe it.”